Home hygienic pool or billiard cue.



No. 684,290. v Patented w. a, 19m. u. nccLAm.

HUME HYGIENIG POOL AND BILUABD CUE. (Application filed H0 19, 1900.)

(No Model.)

i avwanlioz v m: nouns mm 90. mmou'mo" wunmo'ron. zrc.

' UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DOW MOOLAIN, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS.

HOME HYGlENlC POOL OR BILLIARD CUE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,290, dated October 8, 1901. Application filed November 19, 1900- Serlal No. 36,926. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DOW MOOLAIN, a cit-izen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Wyandotte and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Home Hygienic Pool or Billiard Cues; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention appertains to gaming apparatus which I have denominated hygienic home billiards, and my object is to provide an instrument which, in connection with a billiard-table of the usual or any preferred construction, will be found productive not only of a great amount of entertainment and amusement, but will also be conducive to healthful and correct breathing, inasmuch (as will be hereinafter clearly set forth) as the use of my invention will necessitate deep and hygienic exercise of the lungs. Aside, therefore, from the agreeable entertainment derived from the use of my gaming apparatus the use thereof will prove an important and healthful addition to every home.

In the following specification the preferred materialization of my invention will be clearly set-forth, the details being illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which= Figure 1 is a perspective View showing my invention applied to use. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of my invention complete, showing a portion of the tubing broken away. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central section of my invention complete, ready for use.

In order to conveniently refer individually to the several parts and their cooperating accessories, numerals will be employed, of which 1 indicates a billiard-table, which may be of the usual construction, though preferably of reduced size, or said table may be readily improvised from an ordinary table by providing suitable ledges or edge walls adapted to retain the balls in place upon the table. As this suggested adaptation of an ordinary table for use to retain the balls in place is a common expedient, I deem it unnecessary to enter into aspecification of details as to how it may be best accomplished. The table being thus or otherwise provided, the balls 2,

also of the usual or any preferred construction, may be placed in position thereon and one or more players may join in the game. The players may be conveniently and comfortably seated in their respective positions.

Briefly stated, my invention consists in an apparatus designed to impel the balls so that they will contact with each other as desired or travel from cushion to ball or from ball to ball, as is usual in the game of billiards, pool, or the like.

Referring specifically to the several parts of my invention, 3 indicates the body portion, which is tubular and preferably formed of some suitable sheet metal, celluloid, or the equivalent, it being desirable to so form the walls of the body portion or cylinder 3 that the same Will be'slightly compressible in order that the walls may be brought into contact with the ball at, which latter is constructed of any preferred material and is preferably hollow in order that it may respond readily to the-action of the air forced through the tube 5, which latter is prepared with a flared end or nozzle 6 of proper size to slip over the open end of the body portion 4. I prefer to provide the tubing 5 with the flared end 6 instead of tapering the end of the body 3 inasmuch as it becomes desirable to leave the body portion free to be slightly compressed in order that the ball may be held in the upper end of the body until forced downward by the pressure of air coming from the tube 5. The ball 4 is therefore designed to play loosely within the body portion 3 and to be thus forced intovengagement with the piston or one 7, the latter being preferably provided at its inner end with the enlarged end or head 8, designed to insure a more perfect contact between the one and the ball.

The outer end of the cue 7 may be of the same diameter as the middle portion, though I prefer to slightly enlarge the same, as indicated by the numeral 9, though said end may be a duplication of the ordinary billiard-cue, it being understood that some suitable tip shall be placed upon the end of the cue or piston in order to insure a proper cushioned effect when the one is forced to strike against the ball.

The one is held normally inward by means of the elastic bands 10, though said bands may be replaced by any suitable form 'of" spring, as is obvious. If the elastic bands are employed, one end is hooked over the ears or stems 11, secured upon the opposite sides of the tubular extension 12, which latter is rigidly connected to the outer end of the body 3 and is of proper diameter to loosely receive the cue 7 and permit said cue to be reciprocated therein. The outer ends of the elastic bands 10 are secured by the hooks l3, and it is obvious that said band may be readily replaced or renewed when such action be comes necessary. p 7

The outer end of the tubular body portion is inclosed, as will be seen, by the head-section 1t, and in order to prevent the air from cushioning the ball at when the latter is forced downward against the head 8 of thepiston-7 I provide a plurality of apertures'15 in said head or plate 14, through which theairin advance of the'ball is forced to escape.-

It will be understood that'various modifications or changes maybe made in'th'e-construction just described without departingfrom'the spirit and scope of my invention, and I therefore desire to comprehend in this application all substantial equivalents and substitutes which may be employed.

My invention may be Very cheaply manufactured and sold as an article complete in itself and read y for use in connection with any variety of table or support for the balls, and since the outer end ofqthecue 7 may be provided with the regulation tip usually placed upon billiard-cues it follows that the instrument may be employed by experts, thereby enablingthem to obtain a cue which will be much more conveniently transported from place to place than the rigid form of cue now in common use.

From the foregoingdescriptio'n of the construction and combination of the elements of" my invention it is thought that the usethereof will-beso obviously'apparent that special directions are unnecessary, though it maybestated that in order to hold'the ball in theupper end of thebody portion 3 ready tobe" actuated by the air forced through the tube- 5, said bodyportion maybeso'turned that theball will drop down into the open end and'in engagement with the flared end 6, when aslight pressure'upon the body portion will cause the walls of'said body'to contact with the'ball and prevent the same from moving against the head 8 until theoperator is ready for such act-ion. By this arrangement the operator can therefore dispose the ball in the normal upper endof'thebody 3 until he is ready to cause the piston to-strikethe ball, When'by releasing the pressure upon the'tubular body at the instant he blows into the tube 5 the ball will be'left free to strike the piston and cause 'it to impel the-ball immediately-contiguous to it. After-a billiardball has been struck the ball 4 by a proper manipulation of the body 3 may be again caused to roll into contact with the flared end 6, ready for a repetition of the operation.

The tubing 5 is preferably-formed of some 7 i 7 r yielding flexible material, as rubber, the ordinary rubber tubing being amply sufiicient to meet all requirements.

Believing that the advantages and construction of my invention have been made I fully apparent from the foregoing specification, considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, further reference to the details is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim'asnew, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In gaming apparatus of the character specified, the combination with a com-pressible'body portion, of acne recip'rocatingly mountedtherein'; means to hold said one has mally inward; aball flttingwith-in the'body" portion and adapted te move againstsaid cuebody and a plunger or one proper'm'ovably' mounted in the other end thereof; suitable" means to hold said cue normally: inward" whereby when the ball forces the same"out'" ward-it will automatically withdraw in p'osition for the next strokegall substantial'ly as specified and for thepurpos'e set forth;

3. The herein-describedapparatus forim ing a suitable body portion 'of fiexible mate rial; a movablemembermountedin'oneend":

ofsaid body portion; aball carriedwithiir the body and'adapted to force saidmovable member outward, in combination with a flexi-' ble tubing connecte'd to'the body andex tending to the mouth of the operator, and

suitable means to hold the movable-member normally Within the body Wherebyit will al ways be in positiontobe struck bythe bal'l carried by said body all'substantiallyt as= specified and for thepurpose set forth,

pelling a billiard-ball or'othe1"ball,'coinpris=* at. In'a'billiard-cue'of'thecharacter'speci I fled, a body portion of flexible-'materialg-a plunger mounted in one end=of'said'bo'dy;'a 1

spring designed to holdsa'id'plunger within said body; a flexible tubingjconnected toihe opposite end of the body and a ball adapted:

to move from one end of"the bodyto'thej other and thereby be forced in'toengagement f with said plunger when pressure'of air is de-' livered through said fiexibletubcyall sub lrr stantially as'specified and for the purpose 7 set forth. i,

I 5. A billiard cue of the character described;

comprising a compressible body portions-a tubular extension at one end thereof, a cue mounted to loosely reciprocate through said extension, an elastic means connecting the one with the extension, and a ball movable Within the body portion and adapted to engage the end of the one within the body por-v tion, as set forth.

6. Abilliard-cue of the character described, comprising a compressible body portion, a tubular extension at one end thereof, a cue mounted to loosely reciprocate through said extension, an elastic means connecting the one with the extension, and a ball movable 

